Man's need for drugs leads to life of crime

adavies |
29th Jan 2016 5:00 AM

Adam Davies
Senior Journalist
Adam was born in New South Wales and was educated at the prestigious Scots College in Sydney.
He has worked both in Australia and United Kingdom for some of the largest newspapers in the two respective countries.
He joined APN as a senior journalist at The Chronicle in Toowoomba in 2010, before moving to APN’S Brisbane Newsdesk in 2013 where he covered politics and court.
Adam won a 2015 Queensland Clarion Award - the state's premier journalism awards - and was named 2011 APN Daily Reporter of...

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A GAILES man with a penchant for binging on drugs and committing crimes has been jailed for his latest brush with the law.

Shaun Dudley Sielaff, 26, pleaded guilty on Thursday in Ipswich Magistrates Court to stealing several cars and a motorbike, and assault.

The court heard Sielaff had more than 10 pages of criminal history, littered with similar crimes, along with a host of drug and at least 12 assault-type offences.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Brad Dick told the court police were called to an address in Gailes after neighbours witnessed Sielaff stealing a motorbike from a neighbour.

He said the witnesses saw him push the bike down the driveway, a short distance down the street and place it under his house.

Sgt Dick said when police turned up to question Sielaff they located two other vehicles which had been reported stolen from Redbank and Redland Bay.

He told the court that the assault had occurred on March 13, 2014, outside Lawton railway station where Sielaff punched a woman in the face and then dragged her along the street after trying to rob her.

Defence lawyer Natasha Shorter said the father-of-two had struggled with drugs his entire life since being introduced to them as a teen.

She said he planned on living with his new partner at Plainlands when he is eventually released from jail.

"Given his criminal history there is little doubt drugs have been an ongoing issue for him," she said.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess told Sielaff there was little she could say as his criminal history spoke for itself.

She said if he did not sort himself out he would simply spend longer and longer behind bars.

Magistrate Sturgess sentenced Sielaff to 12 months behind bars but ordered he be released on parole on March 22 after taking into account the 67 days he had already spent in custody.